No more increases for 2001, 2002
-Gopaul tells GPSU's Yarde
Stabroek News
January 14, 2003
The Public Service Ministry (PSM) has reiterated that based on affordability and the budgetary allocations nothing further can be paid out for 2001 and 2002 and it again invited the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) for talks on wages for 2003-5.
These issues were addressed in correspondence responding to a GPSU letter to Permanent Secretary, Dr N.K. Gopaul calling for the settling of outstanding issues before negotiations for the year 2003 to 2005 could commence.
Gopaul in his reply dated January 10 to GPSU President Patrick Yarde said that the ministry could only restate its willingness to begin negotiations, which would include discussions on salaries and allowances for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005.
The government awarded public servants a 5% increase for 2002 in late December after talks broke down between the two sides.
With reference to the 1999 Armstrong Tribunal Award, Gopaul said the terms of reference of the tribunal required it to "... enquire into existing differences between the unions and the Government of Guyana in connection with ... wages and salaries for public employees... for the years 1999 and 2000."
Gopaul said, "that the award made provision for the payment of 31.06% and 26.66% for the years 1999 and 2000 respectively and the Government of Guyana has made the full payment of those amounts. Any other issue in the award would be extraneous matter."
The union is demanding that the government honour the tribunal's decisions on allowances.
But Gopaul in his letter said, "It is my view that this issue has been fully discussed by the parties and ought to be put to rest."
On the question of the appended agreement on the avoidance and settlement of disputes being incorporated into the 1987 Public Service Rules and being deemed a legally binding document, Dr Gopaul said, that the collective labour agreement was entered into between the union and the government prior to 1984. To make that agreement a legally binding document, he said defied logic and interpretation of the law. "The collective agreement of the parties was prior to 1984 and as a consequence cannot be legally binding and enforceable," he added. If it were, he said, the parties would have used that agreement at all times. Therefore, he said it was ironic that it was not used for the setting up of the Armstrong Tribunal.
Stating that the government was satisfied with the agreement, he said the public service rules, on the other hand, was a government of Guyana document, although it was crafted with the input of the union. However, the union's participation in the drafting of the document does not make it a collective agreement, he said, adding that to make reference to that agreement in the rules is acceptable but it still does not change the commencement date in the agreement.
Gopaul said he also hoped "you will find it convenient and useful to meet with the Public Service Ministry at a mutually convenient time to start negotiations for the current period."
Gopaul also expressed disappointment at what he said was the "tone and arrogance" of Yarde's letter "which defies all rules of engagement governing industrial relations matters." He said it was not that he could not be enlightened on industrial relations but to "seek to foist your understanding and/or interpretation of an issue on me or on the Government of Guyana is tantamount to conducting industrial relations from a position of hostility rather than cordiality."
